SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) The penitentiary in Sioux Falls was first established in 1881. Of course it has gone through several expansions, modernizations and remodeling’s since then. The question of whether and when to replace the facility has been a subject of legislative discussion for some time. In this last legislative session, lawmakers set aside $600 million in preparation to build a new prison. Now some legislators are having buyer’s remorse.
The South Dakota Department of Corrections has purchased 320 acres in rural Lincoln county about five miles south of Harrisburg and eight miles south of Sioux Falls for construction of a new prison. That site has brought protest from neighboring citizens.
Some lawmakers point out that the Jamison Annex was constructed with an eye to a future second floor. Others point out that there are 40 acres adjacent to the current prison the State already owns that are ripe for on-site expansion. With cost estimates ballooning to perhaps $750 million, some state leaders are searching for a more inexpensive option that would utilize the current site.
No final decisions appear to have been made at this point.